Cigarette and the like filter and method for producing same

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a process for producing a filter for cigarettes and the like comprising providing a quantity of human hair, depositing the hair in an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate, boiling the solution containing the hair, cooling the solution, removing the hair from the solution, and drying the hair and using the thus treated hair as a filter material. Also, the disclosure relates to the filter produced by this process.

United States Patent 1 Johnson et al.

[ June 3,1975

CIGARETTE AND THE LIKE FILTER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME Inventors: James W. Johnson, 17526 Brush St.; Gladys Janet Knapp, 300 Whitmore, both of Detroit, Mich. 48203 Filed: Nov. 16, 1973 Appl. No.: 416,457

US. Cl 131/261 R Int. Cl. A24f 7/04 Field of Search 131/267, 140 P, 261 R,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,255,761 6/1966 Reske 131/10 3,674,540 7/1972 Pergaminos 131/140 P X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 13,747 1851 United Kingdom 131/207 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerV. Millin Attorney, Agent, or FirmShlesinger, Arkwright, Garvey & Dinsmore [5 7 ABSTRACT This invention relates to a process for producing a filter for cigarettes and the like comprising providing a quantity of human hair, depositing the hair in an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate, boiling the solution containing the hair, cooling the solution, removing the hair from the solution, and drying the hair and using the thus treated hair as a filter material. Also, the disclosure relates to the filter produced by this process.

13 Claims, N0 Drawings CIGARETTE AND THE LIKE FILTER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME This invention relates to an improved cigarette filter and a process for making the same. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved cigarette filter made from treated human hair or synthetic material having natural hair qualities as well as a process for making the filter.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS The prior art relating to filtering devices for smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and the like is replete with many types of filters for these smoking devices. Most commonly, these filters comprise some type of synthetic fibrous material or naturally occurring carbon or chemical granules or charcoal. Often, the fibrous material is in some way treated with certain chemicals to alter the filtration ability of the fibers or to impart a desired taste to the smoke.

One of the most common types of cigarette filters consist of packed cellulose fibers or a paper or felt made from cellulose fibers. These fibers are used either in a naturally occurring form or are treated to render them more absorptive or to produce better filtration of the smoke. Many additives have been proposed for cellulose fibers to cool the smoke or improve the draw through the filter or the bite of the smoke. So-called menthol cigarettes are often of this type.

Other types of fibers such as mineral fibers of asbestos have also been proposed. Similarly, synthetic fibers such as glass fibers or polyolefin or polyester fibers have been proposed for cigarette and the like filters.

Additionally, many attempts have been made to utilize a cooling liquid such as water for cigarette filters used in the manner of so-called water pipes, and the water may even be included in a small mouthpiece type filter attached to the cigarette.

Most types of cigarette or the like filters suffer from a variety of disadvantages, and their selection generally is made to minimize one or more of the disadvantages. For example, some types of filtration material require a substantial suction in order to pass the smoke through the filter medium, The suction which the smoker must generate is of course tiring to the smoker, and therefore, somewhat undesirable.

Other types of filter material remove so much of the ingredients of the smoke that very little taste remains in the smoke, and the smoking article is then undesirable from this standpoint.

Other types of filters and particularly asbestos fiber filters, may present a health hazard due to the extremely fine nature of asbestos fibers and the danger of lung contamination therefrom.

The filters which have a particular chemical added such as for example, menthol, treat the smoke so as to alter its taste to the user, and while this may be desirable for some user, it is undesirable for others.

One of the main purposes of the filters on any smoking device is the removal of the carcinogenic contaminants from the smoke. Tests have demonstrated some apparent connection between the tars and nicotines present in the smoke and common respiratory diseases. Therefore, the removal of these contaminants is a highly desirable feature. Unfortunately, prior art filters, in removing these harmful materials, have also removed the taste-providing materials from the smoke or fail to remove a chemical compound which masks the real flavor of the tobacco article.

An ideal filter for cigarettes, cigars, etc., would be one which:

1. removed carcinogenic contaminants from the smoke; I

2. did not introduce harmful material into the smoke;

3. maintained the taste of the smoke for satisfying the desires of the user;

4. did not increase the amount of suction required or otherwise alter the draw;

5. cooled the smoke without affecting taste thereof, and

6. was made from inexpensive materials.

Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a filter for a smoking device which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art filters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a filter for a smoking device which removes the harmful contaminants from the smoke while leaving good taste in the smoke.

A further object of this invention is to provide a filter for cigarettes and the like which retains the bite in the smoke.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a filter for cigarettes and the like which does not require a high suction, and thus has good drawing properties.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette filtering material made from specially treated hair.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette filter which removes the masking compound from filtered cigarettes, and restores the flavor.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method for producing an improved cigarette filter made from hair.

Another object of this invention is to provide a smoke filter which does not introduce harmful contaminants into the smoke.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a method for treating hair to render it suitable for use as an improved cigarette filter material.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette filter made from hair which has been treated with sodium bicarbonate.

These and other objects and advantages'of this invention will become apparent whenconsidered in light of the following specification and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Cigarette filters which are made from hair have been known for many years. For example, British Pat. No. 13,747, issued to Phillips in 1851 suggested that hair could be used in a smoke filter. Apparently, this attempt met with little success.

US. Pat. No. 3,255,761 issued to Reske et al also relates to filters for tobacco articles and is made from hair which has been treated. Here, the patentee reacts the keratin of the hair with a substance such as thioglycolic acid so as to reduce the disulfide linkages of the keratin molecules to sulfhydryl groups. While this represents an advance over the Phillips patent, it too had disadvantages, particularly in the cost of the reactants.

According to this invention, a quantity of human hair is used with the hair fibers having preferably been cut to a fiber length of less than about A inch. A substantially saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate is prepared, and the short hair fibers or fibrils are introduced into the aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution. The amount of solution used to treat a given quantity of hair will depend upon the amount of hair to be treated. In any event, the solution should be sufficient to cover all of the hair particles placed therein.

Sodium bicarbonate has been found to be superior to what would ordinarily be expected to be equivalent materials such as lithium or potassium bicarbonate. These materials have been found to deleteriously affect the taste of the smoke. Moreover, sodium bicarbonate is a widely used and readily available material of low cost and without harmful side effects.

The solution containing the hair and sodium bicarbonate is next heated and brought to a boil. This solu tion is allowed to boil for a period of time, typically on the order of -30 minutes. It is not certain if the sodium bicarbonate actually reacts with the keratin of the hair or merely serves to clean the hair in a very effective manner, since sodium bicarbonate is a known cleaning agent. However, the hair should be boiled in the solution sufficiently long that no further discoloration of the solution occurs. This may be determined by decanting the solution periodically and adding fresh aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution and bringing to a boil, or by removing the hair from the solution, washing it, and depositing it in fresh solution and allowing it to boil again. If no further discoloration occurs in the fresh solution, then the hair has been boiled sufficiently long. If discoloration should occur, then it should be allowed to boil for an additional length of time until it will no longer discolor a fresh solution. It has been found that the solution resulting from the first boiling is an excellent starting solution for new batches of hair since it is very reactive and cuts down the time required to obtain a clean solution. It also produces a more absorbtive hair filter medium.

When the hair has been treated sufficiently so that it no longer discolors fresh sodium bicarbonate solution, the solution is allowed to cool, and the hair is removed from the solution. Preferably, the hair is then dried, however, filtration of the solution to remove the hair without further drying may be adequate for some purposes.

The thus treated hair is then ready to be deposited in a suitable filter receptacle for use as a smoking filter. This receptacle may be an integral part of the cigar of cigarette, or may be part of a filter mouthpiece which is used with a conventional cigarette of filter or nonfilter variety.

The sodium bicarbonate solution is preferably saturated at room temperature at which point it has solubility of about 110 gms per liter. Also during the boiling step or steps, the solution should be agitated vigorously so as to insure a thorough treatment of the hair. Sometimes, the solution boils vigorously and violently, and further mechanical agitation is unnecessary. This violent boiling may be caused by the different types of protein contained in different hair, however, this is not certain. Glass beads may be used to reduce the boiling violence.

The hair which has been treated by this process is impregnated with sodium bicarbonate and contains a small residue of sodium bicarbonate thereon, although the residue is not strictly a continuous coating on the fibrils. However, the fibrils remain discrete and are not bound into a mass.

The cigarette filter produced according to this invention is found to have greatly improved draw characteristics and the suction necessary to draw the smoke therethrough does not differ noticeably from conventional filters. Additionally, a large quantity of undesirable material is removed from the smoke, and even from the smoke of a conventional filter-type cigarette using the regular filter in conjunction with the present filter. It is to be noted that using a filter according to this invention with a conventional filter cigarette results in improved bite and taste of the smoke of the cigarette. The removal of the contaminant from the smoke is confirmed by a washing of the used filter fibers, which may be subsequently reused. Considerable discoloration occurs in the water indicating high removal of contaminants, even after using the filter for one cigarette.

The taste of the smoke is not impaired at all by the filter of this invention, and in fact is in many cases believed to be superior to the taste of the unfiltered smoke. Additionally, the bite of the smoke is greatly improved. The draw, taste, and bite of the cigarette are all improved with simultaneous reduction in the harmful contaminants of the smoke, and but minimal treatment of the filter fibrils.

Although this invention is not limited to human hair, but includes other keratinous type hair, the use of animal hair may be psychologically unappealing and does not appear from tests to be as effective as human hair as a filter medium.

In the filter receptacle, the hair may be of any suitable configuration such as twisted, matted, coiled, etc. Also, it may be packed loose or tight in varying amounts depending upon the exact nature of the response desired in the smoker. Although the fiber length is generally less than A inch, it is preferably in the range 1/32 inch inch. Also a foraminous baffle may be included for retaining the fibrils in place.

Additionally, the extract prepared from the washing of the hair contained in a filter of this invention which has been used for smoking, possesses desirable properties, and has been found to have cleaning and fertilizer activity. The reason for this is not clear, however, it is believed to be due to the nature of the material extracted from the tobacco smoke and the sodium bicarbonate present in the extract.

While this invention has been described, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses and/or adaptations of the invention following in general, the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A process for producing an absorptive filter material having good drawing properties for cigarettes and the like smoking articles comprising:

a. providing a quantity of human hair,

b. depositing said hair in an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate,

c. boiling said hair-containing solution for a sufficient time so that further boiling of said hair in a fresh sodium bicarbonate solution produces no discoloration of said fresh solution,

d. separating said hair from said solution,

e. drying said hair so that a residue of sodium bicarbonate remains thereon, and

f. packing the thus treated hair into a filter receptacle for use with said smoking article.

2. A process as in claim 1 and including:

a. cutting the hair fibers to a length of less than about inch.

3. A process as in claim 2 and including:

a. cutting the hair prior to depositing the hair in said solution.

4. A process as in claim 1 and wherein:

a. said sodium bicarbonate solution is a substantially saturated solution.

5. A process as in claim 1 and including:

a. depositing said hair after removal from said solution and prior to drying into a second aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution, and

b. boiling said hair in said second solution.

6. A process as in claim 5 and including:

a. carrying out said boiling steps with agitation of said solutions.

7. A product produced by the process of claim 1.

8. A process as in claim 1 and including:

a. cooling said solution prior to separating said hair from said solution.

9. A filter having good drawing properties for use 5 with cigarettes or the like smoking articles comprising:

a. a mass of human hair fibers,

b. said hair fibers having a residue of sodium bicarbonate thereon and impregnated therein for improving the filtering ability of said hair fibers.

10. A filter as in claim 9 and wherein:

a. said fibers have a fiber length of less than about A inch.

11. A filter as in claim 10 and wherein:

a. said residue comprises sodium bicarbonate deposited on said fibers from an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate.

12. A filter as in claim 11 and wherein:

a. said fibers have been boiled in said sodium bicarbonate.

13. A filter as in claim 12 and wherein:

a. said fibers are packed in a filter receptacle. 

1. A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN ABOSRPTIVE FILTER MATERIAL HAVING GOOD DRAWING PROPERTIES FOR CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE SMOKING ARTICLES COMPRISING: A. PROVIDING A QUANTITY OF HUMAN HAIR, B. DEPOSITING SAID HAIR IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SODIUM BICARBONATE, C. BOILING SAID HAIR-CONTAINING SOLUTION FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME SO THAT FURTHER BOILING OF SAID HAIR IN A FRESH SODIUM BICARBONATE SOLUTION PRODUCES NO DISCOLORATION OF SAID FRESH SOLUTION, D. SEPARATING SAID HAIR FROM SAID SOLUTION, E. DRYING SAID HAIR SO THAT A RESIDUE OF SODIUM BICARBONATE REMAINS THEREON, AND F. PACKING THE THUS TREATED HAIR INTO A FILTER RECEPTACLE FOR USE WITH SAID SMOKING ARTICLE.
 1. A process for producing an absorptive filter material having good drawing properties for cigarettes and the like smoking articles comprising: a. providing a quantity of human hair, b. depositing said hair in an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate, c. boiling said hair-containing solution for a sufficient time so that further boiling of said hair in a fresh sodium bicarbonate solution produces no discoloration of said fresh solution, d. separating said hair from said solution, e. drying said hair so that a residue of sodium bicarbonate remains thereon, and f. packing the thus treated hair into a filter receptacle for use with said smoking article.
 2. A process as in claim 1 and including: a. cutting the hair fibers to a length of less than about 1/4 inch.
 3. A process as in claim 2 and including: a. cutting the hair prior to depositing the hair in said solution.
 4. A process as in claim 1 and wherein: a. said sodium bicarbonate solution is a substantially saturated solution.
 5. A process as in claim 1 and including: a. depositing said hair after removal from said solution and prior to drying into a second aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution, and b. boiling said hair in said second solution.
 6. A process as in claim 5 and including: a. carrying out said boiling steps with agitation of said solutions.
 7. A product produced by the process of claim
 1. 8. A process as in claim 1 and including: a. cooling said solution prior to separating said hair from said solution.
 9. A filter having good drawing properties for use with cigarettes or the like smoking articles comprising: a. a mass of human hair fibers, b. said hair fibers having a residue of sodium bicarbonate thereon and impregnated therein for improving the filtering ability of said hair fibers.
 10. A filter as in claim 9 and wherein: a. said fibers have a fiber length of less than about 1/4 inch.
 11. A filter as in claim 10 and wherein: A. said residue comprises sodium bicarbonate deposited on said fibers from an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate.
 12. A filter as in claim 11 and wherein: a. said fibers have been boiled in said sodium bicarbonate. 